Diagnose Yourself!

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References: BehaveBet Clinical Capsule: DSM-IV-TR Classification, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, ICD-9-CM Diagnostic Codes

The text revision to the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders presents diagnosticians a five-axis system to diagnose patients in. Now, diagnose yourself with mental disorders that have a negative impact on your life or the life of those around you. I will go first:

Axis I: Clinical Disorders; Other Conditions That May Be a Focus of Clinical Attention

• Asperger's Disorder (299.80)
• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Predominantly Hyperactive/Impulsive Type (314.01)
• Major Depressive Disorder, Recurrent with Atypical Features, Mild, Without Full Interepisode Recovery (296.31)
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (300.02)
• Social Phobia, Generalized (300.23)
• Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (307.50)
• Insomnia Related to Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder (307.42)
  

• Asperger's Disorder (299.80)
• Avoidant Personality Disorder (301.82)
  

• Born with bump on head
  

• Unemployment, many attempts to gain employment
• Living with mother, stepfather, brother, and sister
• Returning to college in the fall, taking out a student loan, dual degree
• Failed attempts at making friends and finding romance
  

• Now: Not so good
• Highest level within the past year: Quite good
  

I have 'taken tests' (totally unscientific of course), which have given me all manner of personality faults - narcissism personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, shizotypal, paranoid, shcizoid, general anxiety disorder, social phobia, depression, plus loads of others.

It is the sheer range and variety of 'disorders' that I have received in these 'diagnosis' that have tended to make me somewhat sceptical about much of it.

I should post the link to the articles in my web log about this, but I have a feeling it has all been read before.

I eschew diagnosis without the aid of properly qualified and experienced 'professionals', because as I surmised long ago, before I ever picked up a 'medical encylopaedia', or went looking for stuff on the internet; it is too easy to ascribe 'symptoms' and things to myself that I knew I didn't want to get too wrapped up in it.

It is for this reason that although I am strongly inclined to think I do have AS/ASD, I am not stating that I have AS/ASD - Undiagnosed, because I am too aware of the potential scope for misleading myself.

Oddly enough, one thing I scored low on was the one about 'Histrionic' disorder, which I think means the propensity to read a diagnosis from, say DSM-IV Service Pack 6 or whatever, and immediately find 'evidence' for the condition within myself.

For my own part, I remain sceptical about diagnosing myself because I know that I could all too easily assign myself attributions or conditions that would not stand up to close, thorough clinical scrutiny.

I agree adversial. I am probably never going to be 100% sure now that I am pdd-nos or likewise. Too much ablity to mislead oneself, even if the symptoms are documented by others.

Aspergers d/o is not to be noted on Axis II...just so you know

Did you know that the DSM was not available to the general public until the 1990s? You had to have a graduate degree in a related area in order to purchase it. Despite the fact that that would mean I wouldn't have access to it, I almost regret that changed.